


The USS Lexington

by Alyson



Series: The Final Frontier [1]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood and Gore, F/M, Gen, Major Original Character(s), Non-Explicit Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-09
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-04-03 17:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4108315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alyson/pseuds/Alyson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The USS Lexington receives a distress call from the USS Enterprise, and it's up to Commander Kristin Ellison to stop the plot to capture a starship.  It will either be the beginning of her career or the end of her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This series takes place during the Alternate Original Series. I love Star Trek (just like anyone reading this, I assume) and I thought, hey, there’s more than just the Enterprise flying around out there. And then I thought, man, I wish I could write a story about another ship and another crew. And then I thought, duh, of course I can. It’s called fanfic! So, this series will be completely AU. I’m ignoring most canon from TOS and AOS (though it does take place after ID in the AOS universe), unless it fits a story I want to write. I did visit Memory Alpha and read up on the Star Fleet insignia they wear on the left breast, and it looks like AOS started out with them all using the same one. And I don’t know what was up with what Marcus’ crew was wearing in ID, I’ll chalk that up to them being rouge. In my unimportant opinion, a fleet should have one set of uniforms. There might be several uniforms for different situations, but generally if you work on a starship, you’re wearing the same type of uniform other people who work on other starships wear. Which means, when you picture the characters in your head, just think of the Bridge and the personnel looking much like the Enterprise, because the Lexington is also a Constitution Class starship.
> 
> I hope you all actually enjoy my take on another ship and another crew. And yeah, I loosely based the captain on myself. Very loosely. She looks like me when I was younger LOL. Well, I always did want to be a starship captain! Also, in the very first episodes of TOS, the women were wearing the trouser uniform (except Uhura, but it would have been a crime to hide those legs), so unless I specify, chances are the women in my story are wearing the same uniform as the men, especially Commander Ellison. She pretty much does not wear skirts or dresses.

Chapter One

Commander Kristin Ellison pulled herself through the Jeffries Tubes by her elbows and her left knee.  Her right leg drug uselessly behind her, a bone jutting grotesquely from the skin, the entire leg twisted at an odd angle.  Blood dripped from her forehead, occasionally blinding her and leaving her dizzy.  If the Romulans who had boarded the _Lexington_ looked for her in that particular crawl space, there would be no hiding the fact that she was there, slowly making her way to Auxiliary Engineering; blood coated the walls and floor of the area she passed through.  She had to get to Engineering.  Passing out was not an option.

So much for the rescue mission.  It looked like the _Lexington_ and its First Officer were the ones in need of rescuing.

 

_Six Hours Earlier_

 

“Sir!  We’re getting a distress call from the _Enterprise_!”

“On screen, Suarez,” Commander Ellison ordered from her position next to the Captain’s chair.

“It’s audio only,” Lt. Suarez announced as he flicked the proper switches to broadcast the message across the Bridge.”

_“…stranded.  Please respond.  This is the_ USS Enterprise. _We have experienced ship wide malfunctions after passing through the Dyson Nebulae, leaving us stranded.  Please respond.  This is…”_

“Shut that off,” Captain Hunter said as he stood from his chair and moved to lean over the navigation station.  “Put the coordinates on screen.  Hmmm.  Now put up on the map where the _Enterprise_ is currently assigned.”

Ellison stepped forward to stand next to the captain, arms crossed over her command gold covered chest and a scowl twisting her thin lips.

“That’s really off course,” she stated suspiciously.  “Aren’t they delivering medical personnel and supplies to New Vulcan?”

“Yes,” Hunter replied, his dark brow wrinkling, “and that’s nowhere near the Dyson Nebulae.  There’s nothing for it.  Lt. Suarez, dispatch a message to Star Fleet.  Send a copy of the distress signal and a request for support.  Lt. Zim, shortest path to the source of that distress signal, warp factor one, then join me in my Ready Room.”

Without needing an invitation, Commander Ellison twisted around and followed Hunter into the Ready Room just off the Bridge.  She took her seat next to the Captain as the rest of the senior staff filed in.  Once they were all settled, the Captain turned to her.

“First Officer’s report?”

With a few keystrokes, the pertinent information began to scroll across the Ready Room’s computer display.

“At 1121 standard hours we received a distress call, presumably from the _USS Enterprise_.  Lt. Suarez, play back, please.”  The Communications Officer played the audio message again.  “Despite coming through proper channels and using the proper security codes, it is unlikely that it is a genuine message.  The _Enterprise_ is currently on a supply run to New Vulcan and is then scheduled for shore leave.  We have sent a message to Star Fleet, but there have been no changes to the ship’s agenda.”

“We’re not just going to ignore the distress call, are we?” Dr. Bivens, the ship’s CMO, asked in surprise.

“No, or course not,“ Captain Hunter replied, shaking his head.  “There really is no telling what could have happened.  Captain Kirk isn’t known for always following procedure, but if he received some kind of message that would take him that far off his route, it’s unlikely that he wouldn’t inform Star Fleet of the change.  That said, we’re not taking the chance that something unprecedented happened and he did divert without sending out an update.”

“Especially that close to the Romulan Neutral Zone,” Lt. Zim added as she pulled up the map showing the location of the distress signal, the Andorian’s antennae twitching to show her own distress.

“Exactly,” Ellison agreed.  “We’re going in with the intention of performing a rescue mission but prepared for it to be a trap.”

“How long until we arrive, Lt. Zim?” the Captain asked.

“Approximately four point five hours, sir.”

“Let’s get ready, people.  Dismissed.”

 

_Currently_

 

It was a trap, far worse than they could have imagined.  Star Fleet didn’t have any other vessels in the area and had advised the _Lexington_ to proceed with caution.  When they arrived several hours later, it had quickly spiraled out of control.  Now the _Lexington_ was damaged, listing in space.  Key systems were damaged, making the extent of the damage and the death toll unknown.  With the Romulans on board, the Commander had only one option left, and she was heading towards it, doing her best not to pass out from blood loss on the way.

After what seemed like ages, her bleary eyesight just made out what she was looking for – the hatch to Auxiliary Engineering.  The Romulans weren’t familiar with the layout of a Constitution Class starship.  She could only hope they didn’t know that all systems could be rerouted to any of the Engineering stations with a command code.  She hoped they didn’t know there was more than one Engineering room.  She mustered that hope into a burst of energy that allowed her to drag her battered body the last few feet and open the hatch.

She was greeted on the other side with three phasers in her face.  Just as quickly, the phasers dropped and with a shout of joy from the crewmen who had been holding the weapons, she was hauled painfully from the hatch and onto the floor.  She looked up to see Lieutenants Suarez and Zim and Lieutenant Commander Liu, the _Lexington’s_ Head Nurse staring down at her with grins on their tired faces.  Liu, bent down, whipping out a medical scanner, the smile never leaving her face even as she started listing Ellison’s injuries.

“You have a slight concussion, several contusions, and your leg is fractured in two places, one being a compound fracture, and is dislocated at the hip.  Wow, I can’t believe you’re conscious.”

“Oh, my god, Liu, you ghoul.  Just fix what you can.”

“I’m not happy you’re injured, I’m just happy to see you, jackass.  And I can stop the bleeding and take care of the pain and the concussion, but I only have the basics with me and that leg is going to need surgery. “

“I just need to think clearly and keep functioning.”

“Wonderful, you want miracles.  Ok, I’m just taking the edge off, then.  You’re still going to be feeling it.”

With the first hit of a hypo, Ellison felt more clear headed – and more in pain.  Her leg throbbed to the point she almost wished she had just lay down and gone to sleep.  Liu loaded another hypo and when she pressed that one to Ellison’s neck, the pain faded to a back ground annoyance.

“Not to tell you how to do your job, but maybe hit your patients with the pain meds first.”

Liu just rolled her eyes and went back to scanning the Commander.  The other two slung Ellison’s arms over their shoulders and helped her off the floor and into a chair.  Once she was settled and no longer wincing in pain, they turned hopeful eyes on her.

“Status report?”

“Auxiliary Engineering has sustained some damage, but nothing major,” Lt. Zim reported.  “All systems are operational.”

“The Romulans don’t seem to know this place is here,” Lt. Suarez added.  “And they haven’t seem to have gotten to this level, yet.  We’ve over-ridden the door and barricaded it for good messure.”

“Liu?  What’s going on in Medical?”

“They’re all dead,” the nurse reported, her hands only shaking slightly in distress.  “The Romulans were interested in the Med Bay, but not in questioning any of the staff.  Dr. Bivens shoved me through a hatch and ordered me to get to Auxiliary Engineering before they got to us.  The sound of weapons fire covered the sound of me escaping.  It seems he knew this was where any survivors from the Command crew would meet.”

“Yes,” Ellison agreed, her voice soft in concern for her friend.  “During an invasion of the ship, if we lose control, our primary directive is to regain control.  This is the best place since the Bridge and Engineering are already over run.”

“What are your orders, Captain?” Zim asked.

Ellison shivered at the title, but didn’t hesitate to lay out her plan.


	2. Chapter Two

 

_Two Hours Earlier_

“Captain, we’re approaching the coordinates of the distress signal.”

“Take us out of warp.  On screen.”

The field of stars was replaced by an image of a Constitution Class starship, much like their own _Lexington_.  They weren’t at the right angle to see the ship’s markings, but it was presumably the _Enterprise._

“Shields up, Yellow Alert,” Commander Ellison directed.  “Approach at one quarter impulse power.  Lt. Suarez, hail them, please.”

“Aye, sir.  Hailing frequencies open.”

A few tense moments passed as they approached the stationary ship, all eyes on the view screen.  No one seemed to breathe.  When Suarez spoke, even he cringed at how loud he sounded on the quiet Bridge. 

“There’s no response to our hails.”

“Captain, there’s something… not right,” Zim suddenly broke in, her left antennae twitching back towards the Captain in consternation.  “The readings keep going in and out.  It’s like one moment, the ship is there and then for a brief second, it’s gone.  And just now, the readings weren’t even coming from the ship’s coordinates, but just off its bow.”

“Red Alert!”  Ellison’s voice echoed through the ship, sending crew members in an ordered scramble to battle stations.  It wasn’t quite fast enough.  Before the first word left her mouth, three Romulan War Birds decloaked and the image of the _Enterprise_ winked out of existence.  The War Birds’ phaser banks were glowing red as soon as they were visible.

“All decks prepare for impact!” Captain Hunter shouted, overlapping Ellison’s call for Red Alert.  The ship rocked violently, the lights flickering in almost the same instant.

The Commander slammed herself down into a seat next to tactical, the restraints instantly locking her in to place as they did the rest of the seated Bridge crew.  Those not lucky enough to find their seats in time were pitched roughly to the deck and against consoles.  She quickly scanned the tactical station, noting the Chief had already armed torpedoes and readied phasers.

“Fire at will, Chief,” she ordered, trusting the Chief to quickly pick the best target.

Her trust was well placed.  Chief McBride took aim at the one roughly in the middle and a well-placed torpedo took out the War Bird’s weapons systems.  Ellison scanned the ship and realized that it also took out life support.

“One down!” she announced.

“Great,” Captain Hunter gritted out, ending his conversation with Dr. Bivens in Medical.  “We’ve sustained minimal damage but shields are down to seventy percent.  McBride, show them what we’ve got!”

“Aye, sir!  Torpedoes, away!”

This time, the target was able to execute evasive maneuvers and while it was clear damage was done, no vital systems were hit.  The third ship, in the meantime, was able to get a volley in that the Helmsman wasn’t able to entirely avoid.  It was, unfortunately, a lucky shot.

“Shields are down!” the Helmsman yelled, panic clear in his voice.

“We’re being hailed,” Lt. Suarez informed the Captain, turning to face him.

“On screen.”

 

_Currently_

 

“First, we’re going to have to reroute what systems we can to these terminals,” Ellison explained while turning to the terminal behind her and beginning to work on it.  “I’m attempting to reroute navigation and helm but it looks like there’s been too much damage.  Hell, the Romulans will be lucky to get the ship back to Romulus without a tow.”

“Is that their plan?” Nurse Liu asked from where she was leaning against one of the only empty bulkheads in the room.

“It seems this entire farce was so they could lure in and capture a Federation Starship,” Ellison confirmed with a grimace.

“I’ve got Communications!” Suarez announced, pumping a fist into the air.  “The Romulans are completely cut off!”

“Fantastic!  Send out a distress signal.  I doubt at this point that we can be rescued, but Starfleet needs to know what the Romulans are up to and maybe stop them from getting another ship _._   Zim, how are you doing?”

“I wasn’t able to get weapons rerouted,” she replied, punching furiously at the terminal in front of her.  “But I think, yes, I’ve got environmental controls.”

“No rescue?” Liu asked, sounding tired.

“No,” Ellison sighed.  “No one was close enough to assist.  I doubt anyone will get here in time to save us since they’re hell bent on killing off the crew.  However, we need to make sure this ship is impossible to capture.  Step one.  By some miracle, the Engineering crew got the shields back up, and by a bigger miracle, I’ve got control of them.  Shields up, maximum strength!  Anyone get transporters?”

“Aye, sir, transporters under my control and disabled,” Suarez replied, catching on quickly.  “And sensors show that the Romulan vessel is being manned by a skeleton crew.  Guess they needed a full complement to take out our crew.”

“So, unless they manage to regain control of our systems, they’re not getting off this ship.  Computer, begin recording.  Captain’s Log,Acting Captain Kristin Ellison reporting.  We have been boarded by Romulans, Captain Hunter killed in action.  Their intent is to capture the ship, but not the crew, therefore I believe that the crew members with me, Lt. Marcus Suarez, Lt. Zim and Lt. Com. Tara Liu, are all that’s left of the crew of the _Lexington_. If there are other survivors, the Romulan crew will likely soon find and execute them, as well.  We can’t allow the Romulans to capture the ship.  I’m recommending commendations for the entire crew for valor in the face of impossible odds.  Captain Ellison, signing off.”

“What are your orders?” Zim asked, the look on her face saying she already knew what was coming next.

“Computer,” Ellison said, never taking her eyes off of the crew members in front of her, “self-destruct, authorization Ellison, 100Beta002.”

 

_One Hour Earlier_

Ellison shook with indignation, desperately wanting to crawl back out of the Jeffries Tube that Captain Hunter had pushed her towards.  When the Romulan commander had contacted them, he had demanded their unconditional surrender or their ship would be immediately destroyed.  Hunter had reluctantly agreed.

“Everyone, off the Bridge!” he had ordered the moment the screen had gone blank.  He had run up to the Tactical station and physically hauled Ellison to her feet and over to the access panel, yanking the cover off and pushing the startled Commander inside. 

“No, sir, no!” she objected, finally snapping out of her fugue state and trying to push against the Captain even as he was replacing the panel.

“Commander Ellison, I need you to get out of here,” he practically growled at her.  “If things go as badly as I think they are going to, I need you to succeed me and retake the ship.  At the very least, make sure the Romulans don’t get my ship.”

The panel was only haphazardly replaced before the Romulans beamed directly onto the Bridge, immediately gunning down the crew members who hadn’t been able to escape.

“What are you doing?” Hunter demanded, distancing himself from where Ellison was watching from a gap in the panel.  “We surrendered!”

“Ah, Captain Hunter,” the Romulan Commander greeted, approaching the other man.  “We only need the ship, not the crew.  I accepted your surrender so that you wouldn’t damage any more of the ship than we were forced to in order to disable it.  Too many Romulans have died to capture this ship for me to leave empty handed.”

It was at that point that the Romulan Commander fired his weapon, Captain Hunter dropping heavily to the floor, a charred hole in his chest.  Ellison had to fight every instinct within her to leave her hiding area and confront the Romulans.  She wanted nothing more than to wrap her hands around the Commander’s throat, but she knew she would be fired on before she could even get close to him.  She was also frighteningly aware that she was now the Captain and it was her responsibility to keep the ship out of the hands of the Romulans.

As quietly as possible, Ellison began moving through the bowels of the ship, plotting how she’d do just that.

 

_Currently_

 

Lt. Suarez took a deep breath and squared his shoulders.

“Computer, self-destruct, authorization Suarez, 200Delta002.”

Ellison gave him a nod, and then turned to the other Command Officer in the room.

“Lt. Zim?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to apologize for anything I screwed up. I wanted to look some things up, but I’ve been so busy I never got the chance. I just completely left out a star date, and let’s face it, it’s not edited. Hope it’s up to snuff despite all the problems. Thanks for reading!


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A daring plan.

_From Chapter Two:_

_Lt. Suarez took a deep breath and squared his shoulders._

_“Computer, self-destruct, authorization Suarez, 200Delta002.”_

_Ellison gave him a nod, and then turned to the other Command Officer in the room._

_“Lt. Zim?”_

 

“Wait, is this really necessary?” Liu asked, stepping forward.  “You’ve sent out a distress signal, surely someone is coming to help.”

As if on cue, a high whining could dimly be heard from the bulkhead near the door.

“Captain, I believe the Romulans have figured out where we are and are trying to cut through,” Suarez announced, sounding resigned.

“We don’t have time to wait,” Ellison said, looking to Liu instead of Suarez.  “We can’t let the Romulans get the ship.”

“You know,” Liu, sounding like she hadn’t heard Ellison at all, continued, “we do have control over Environmental Controls, and Romulans, much like Vulcans, function best in higher temperatures than Humans, or Andorians.”

“And I’m sure that Romulans, much like Vulcans,” Ellison mocked, feeling frustrated, “are also far more adaptive than Humans, or Andorians.”

“You know,” Zim cut in, “it’s not really necessary to bring me and my whole species into this.”

“Oh, it is, if Liu is suggesting doing what I think she’s suggesting doing.  You’ll really want to have a say in what happens.  Liu, if we drop the temperature low enough and fast enough to suddenly incapacitate the Romulans, it might very well kill us.”

“Drop the temperature?” Zim asked, suddenly sounding concerned.  “How low are we talking?”

“And then,” the Captain continued, ignoring her navigator, “it will be just a matter of time before the Romulans from the other ship blast through our shields and rescue their comrades.  Who will probably be comatose, at worse.”

“But we’ll have the advantage of surprise,” Liu insisted.  “They won’t be expecting us to do that and they won’t be able to react in time.  We’ll be ready.”

“With what?”

“With these!”

 

_Thirty Minutes Earlier_

 

Ellison estimated that she was about halfway to Auxiliary Engineering when she stopped and took a slight detour down a side passage.  She knew she needed more than her wits to defend against Romulans – she needed fire power.  She was near Security and one of the weapons lockers.  All she had to do was get out of the tube and cross the corridor without being seen.  As quietly as possible, she moved the panel leading to her destination, wincing at the hiss that sounded so loud in her ears.  With great trepidation, she peeked out of her hiding place and looked up and down the corridor.  The coast seemed to be clear.

Quickly, so as not to rethink her plan too much, Ellison swung around and lowered her feet to the deck, landing lightly and immediately heading to the locker.  She had just started putting in her override code when a Romulan soldier turned the corner.  A scowl twisted his face and he charged her, a shout leaving his mouth as he bodily slammed into the smaller woman.

Despite their size difference, Ellison was able to twist away, getting in a right hook to his abdomen in the process.  It, unfortunately, didn’t seem to have much effect on the invader.  His momentum, however, threw him into the bulk head.  Ellison took his moment of confusion to slam her clenched fists into the side of his head, dazing him further and giving her the time she needed to finish putting in her code and get the locker opened.  She was able to wrap her hand around a phaser before she was jumped from behind, her head slammed into the open locker.

With a sickening crunch, her skull hit the edge of the opened locker door, the skin of her forehead separating and blood pouring down her face.  It was her turn to be dazed as she grappled with the Romulan, trying to bring her weapon to bear on him.  It was blind luck that she was able to get a shot off that hit him, even though it was only a graze on the stun setting.  It left him incapacitated long enough to dash across the corridor on unsteady legs and climb back into the Jeffries Tube.

Just as she thought she was home free, she felt a hand wrap around her left ankle and yank cruelly.   She grabbed onto a bar across from her, desperately hanging on as the Romulan tried to pull her out.  Fortunately, the bar was designed as a handhold to help crew members climb into the tube, and so was a part of the bulk head – it wasn’t giving way.  Her hip, however, was.  As she attempted to set her phaser to kill with one hand while holding onto the bar with the other, the soldier used his considerable might to wrench her leg out of socket while slamming his fist down on her shin, breaking her leg.

With a howl of pain, she finally let go of her hand hold and twisted around, shooting the Romulan with deadly precision before he could finally yank her back into the corridor.  Adreniline pumping through her body, Ellison scrambled the rest of the way back into the shaft and slammed the panel closed.  She lay, bleeding, on the deck, trying in turn to catch her breath and keep from blacking out.  Finally, when she felt she could move without blacking out, she turned over and began a slow, painful crawl to her ultimate destination, hoping she’d make it before she bled out.

 

_Currently_

 

Liu turned to the emergency medical panel behind her and pulled out a handful of thermal blankets.  Ellison groaned and dropped her face into her hand.

“That’s great, but as low as we’re going to have to drop the temp…”

“How low!” Zim finally shouted, losing it just a bit before quickly catching herself.  “Sir.”

“At least negative thirty degrees Celsius.”

“And we get blankets?” Zim asked.

“Yep.”

“I’d rather blow up,” Suarez finally chimed in.  “Zim, put in your code.”

“Wait a minute!” Liu was practically dancing, trying to get them to take the blankets.  “This is top of the line Star Fleet tech!  I even heard that on another ship a stranded landing party survived much colder temperatures than that using these same type of blankets.”

“Now that sounds like a story the Chief Engineer of the _Enterprise_ would tell to get free drinks,” Suarez commented, rolling his eyes.  “Come on, blow up the ship!  Quicker death.”

“Actually, Liu may have a point,” Ellison finally conceded, taking one of the blankets.  “It might even have the added side effect of stopping that blasted laser cutter.  Wrap up folks and get comfortable.  We may be hitting the deck ourselves.  Ok Liu, lower the temp.”

Clutching her blanket around her with one hand, Liu worked over the console until she was able to command the ship’s Environmental Controls to drop the temperature on board rapidly instead of gradually like they were programmed to do.  Suddenly, everyone’s next breath was a puff of steam and the whine of the laser cutter stopped.  The muffled sounds of bodies falling to the deck outside followed shortly after.

“Here’s hoping this works,” Ellison said to no one in particular as she shivered herself unconscious.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

_“…body temperature… Sickbay immedi…”_

_“When…Bones?”_

_“Damn…impatient…when I say….out!”_

Captain Ellison drifted in and out.  She wasn’t sure she ever woke up but in her dreams, she was in a transporter room, then in Sickbay, without ever feeling herself being moved.  Maybe this was reality, she mused.  Maybe she was just sick and had dreamed the Romulan attack, Captain Hunter’s death, and her own field promotion.  Maybe Commander Ellison just had a bad case of Rigelian Flu.

If only the loud mouths arguing above her would be quiet enough for her to get some more sleep.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Well, good morning.  Welcome back to the land of the living.”

Ellison had opened her eyes to be greeted with the ceiling of a Sickbay, not that of her own quarters.  Slowly, the events of the past (how long ago?) came back to remind her of how she got there.  She tried to sit up, but a large, warm hand pushed her back down.  He didn’t need to make much of an effort – she found she was too dizzy to successfully execute the move, anyhow.  She lay back down and warily looked up at her warden to be greeted with warm, concerned hazel eyes and a nice smile.

“Now, you’re safe aboard the _Enterprise_.  You just rest awhile.  That little trick you and your Command Crew pulled actually worked; the Romulans were completely incapacitated, long enough for us to get to you.  But so were you.”

“Yeah, that was a ballsy maneuver,” a new voice joined them, more chipper and light than the low soothing tones of the doctor.  “Annoying thing about Vulcanoids – they may succumb to sudden drops in temperature faster than we do, but they recover from it faster, too.  Well, some of them.”

“Jim, damnit,” the doctor still kept his voice low, but it was less soothing and more of a growl when turned towards the intruder.  “She’s not ready for a debrief.”

“I’m not here to debrief her, Bones, I’m not that stupid.  I’m just here to do her the courtesy I’d want done for me.  Trust me; you’ll get more cooperation from her if she doesn’t feel like she’s being kept in the dark.”

With that, a blond haired man with startling blue eyes sat next to her on the bed, coming in to her line of sight.  He wore command gold emblazoned with Captain’s stripes, but even if he hadn’t, she would have known who this man was.  She had known him and the CMO at first sight.

“Hey there, Captain Ellison.  I’m Captain Kirk.  Welcome aboard.  I wish I had better news about your ship and crew.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That chapter took longer than expected. Also, completely fictional biology and science at work! I have little idea of what I’m talking about, just going with what works with the story! Speaking of, there’s one, maybe two chapters left, then the set up for my series will be complete :).


	4. Chapter Four

It was night time on the Enterprise and the lights in Sick Bay were dimmed just enough that they wouldn't disturb the patients as they slept but still allowed the staff to move around and perform their duties. Captain Ellison, however, couldn't sleep. She lay in her bio bed behind the privacy shield, staring up at the ceiling.

Over four hundred members of the crew had perished. That was less than half, and under the circumstances, she was being congratulated on a job well done, but those deaths would haunt her for the rest of her life. It didn't help that she didn't feel as if she could take credit for the ones who lived, either. She had nearly killed them as well.

A sound from the other side of Sick Bay grabbed her attention and she sat up and looked out from the shield to see that the door to the office was open and Dr. McCoy was cursing over a PADD. She also noticed he had a tumbler with something golden in it in his hand. Making sure the medical gown covered all the important bits, Kristin slid her feet into the slippers the nurse had given her and made a bee-line for the office door.

“Knock, knock,” she said, barely raising her voice so as not to startle the doctor. 

She shouldn't have bothered being considerate of his nerves; either he saw her coming or he didn't rattle easy. He didn't even look up as he waved her in, pointed to a seat, and ordered the door closed. He signed off on something, looked up at her and, with a shrewd tilt of his brow, poured another one of those golden drinks.

“Bourbon,” he announced as he slid it across the desk to her. “You sip it, in case you didn't know.”

“I didn't,” she admitted, taking a tentative sip. “Wow. Yeah, I need to stop drinking cheap swill.”

“Yes ma'am, you do. Now, normally I wouldn't be giving real alcohol to a patient I only recently performed major surgery on, but the pain killers should be out of your system and you looked like you needed a drink, an ear, and comfort. So, there's your drink. What's on your mind, darlin'?”

Ellison snorted out a short laugh at the clearly inappropriate endearment, but didn't comment. Besides, it didn't sound creepy the way he said it.

“I don't deserve to keep the field promotion or to take over as Captain of the Lexington,” she blurted.

“Now, how do you figure? The way I see it, and incidentally, the way Star Fleet sees it, is that you saved more than half of your crew with that little maneuver you pulled.”

“Oh, that wasn't my idea,” she admitted, almost sarcastically. “I was planning on blowing up the ship. My head nurse had to talk me out of that, had to convince me to try her plan.”

“Yep, that sounds about right. Command crew is always wanting to go down with the ship. If it weren't for us medical personnel, you'd all be dying noble deaths as soon as you warped out of space dock.”

Kristin rolled her eyes, but didn't comment. She didn't agree but she knew Lui probably would.

“The point is,” McCoy continued, ignoring her, “you were offered a different solution and you had the intelligence to listen to your advisers and the nerve to try and get out of an impossible situation using a harebrained scheme, and it worked. That sounds like a captain of a starship to me. You don't run a ship by yourself, you know.”

“I understand what you're saying,” she continued after a pregnant pause. “It's just... all those lives lost. I just feel....”

“Bad,” he finished for her, then drained his glass. “God help us if you didn't.”

The doctor stood and rounded the desk, taking the now empty glass from her hand and putting it aside. He offered her a broad palmed hand and brought her to her feet and escorted her towards the door, stopping beside the old, beat up sofa in his office.

“Alright, my dear. I've given you the drink and now the ear. Any chance I could be so honored as to also give you some comfort? Some of the only type of comfort you're going to find you can come by out here in the black.”

With a coy smile, Kristin finished stepping into Leonard's personal space, placing a small hand against his broad chest, enjoying the feel of his hand sliding around to the small of her back and then down to pull up her hospital gown and cup her bare bottom.

“I'd really like that,” she whispered as he set the lock code on the door and pulled her down to the sofa, capturing her mouth in a heated kiss.

The newly minted Captain Ellison spent the next hour in a blissful haze under the steady hands of one Dr. McCoy. If that was the only type of comfort she could expect, she decided she'd happily take it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry. This was supposed to be longer and the end of the story, but it's taken me a YEAR (or more, haven't checked) so I thought let's get this out here and then post an epilog. Which is what I'm doing. I'm not even going to suggest when that will happen. I do apologize for how long it's taken and any broken promises :(.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading the first chapter! I'd love con crit and feedback in general. I'll post the next chapter very soon, and we'll see exactly what the acting Captain has up her uniform sleeve!


End file.
